Pipe hanger



G. F. STAMPER July 3, 1962 PIPE HANGER Filed Apiil 22, 1960 INVENTOR GEORGE E STAMPER AUDRNEYS ited 3,fl42,352 Patented July 3, 1962 3,a42,s52 PIPE HANGER George F. Stamper, 3050 Mark Ave, Santa Clara, Calif. Filed Apr. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 24,055 8 Claims. (Cl. 248-63) The present invention relates to pipe hangers, and pertains more particularly to a pipe hanger for hanging pipe along a Wall or ceiling.

In modern building practice it is common to hang one or more pipes along a wall or ceiling, and various types of hangers have been developed for facilitating the hanging of such pipe.

An object of the present invention is to make an improved hanger for hanging pipe and electrical conduit along a building Wall or ceiling.

The invention also provides an improved Wall hanger for pipes, and comprises a channel member adapted to be mounted on a building wall or ceiling, and having a plurality of undercut notches in laterally aligned pairs along the free edges of both side flanges of such channel, a pipe encircling clip being provided for interlocking engagement with such notches for supporting a pipe against the free edges of such side flanges.

The invention also provides an improved pipe hanger comprising a notched channel arranged for interlocking engagement with the laterally bent end portions of a U- shaped clip, the latter being shaped to encircle a pipe of known diameter and to firmly support such pipe in contact with the free edges of the side flanges of such channel.

These, and other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a pipe hanger embodying the invention with a pair of short lengths of pipe of different diameters supported thereby shown in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the channel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational View of the hanger and pipe portions shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 3 with the pipe omitted.

FIG. 5 is a similarly enlarged perspective view of a pipe embracing clip, a set screw being shown axially removed from its hole in the clip.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a blank the clips of FIGS. 1 and 3-5.

Briefly, the illustrated form of the present invention comprises a pipe hanger A, consisting of an elongated member such as a notched channel member 10 adapted to be secured to a supporting wall or ceiling (not shown) and a plurality of U-shaped clip members 11 and 12 of selected sizes which are adapted to attach pipes 13 and 14 to the member 19. Each clip is provided with a pair of bent end flanges 17 and 18 adapted to enter, and to have interlocking engagement with,'undercut notches 19 and 2% provided, in laterally opposite pairs, along the free edges of the channel side flanges 21 and 22, respectively. An offset portion 40 of each clip end flange retains the clip from lateral displacement when in pipe attaching position on the channel 10.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, each channel member 16 comprises a web portion 23 having a plurality of holes 24 (FIG. 2) therein to receive screws 25 for mounting the channel on a wall or ceiling along which pipes are to be hung. r

The notches 19 and Ztl are preferably equally spaced lengthwise of their respective flanges, and each notch is located laterally opposite a notch 19. The notches 19 and 20 are all alike, and each comprises a narrow openfor making one of fitted into laterally undercut ing 27 of a width greater than the thickness of the material from which the pipe encircling clips 11 and 12 are made to permit the insertion of a clip therein.

Each notch has a pair of undercut portions 28 and 29 extending laterally, in opposite directions, beyond the narrow opening 27 for interlocking engagement with the bent terminal edge flanges 1'7 and 18 of the pipe encircling clips 11 and 12 to be used in conjunction therewith. The notches 19 and 20 are spaced apart lengthwise of their respective channel flanges preferably by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of one of the smaller pipes which it is intended to hang by means of the present invention, for example, the pipe 13 of FIGS. 1 and 3. Except for variations in size, the pipe encircling clips 11 and 12 are generally similar to each other, and for this reason the smaller one 11 only will be described in detail herein.

Each clip 11 is made from a rectangular blank 32 (FIG. 6) of sheet metal, such as, for example, steel of sufiicient strength and thickness, as determined by conventional engineering calculations, to support the heaviest pipe which the clip is designed to carry. Clip end flanges 17 and 18 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5) are bent at right angles to the main body portion 33 of the blank 32 as along dotted lines 34 and 35 in FIG. 6. As illustrated, these flanges are bent inwardly, and such direction of bending is preferred, although the clip would be useable if the flanges were bent laterally outwardly.

The clip body portion 33 is bent arcuately medially of its length on a radius substantially equal to the outside diameter of a pipe 13 which the clip 11 is adapted to encircle and support, while the clip side portions 37 and 38 are left straight down to the flanges 17 and 18. These side portions 37 and 38 are of suflicient length so that when the clip 11 is mounted with its flanges 17 and 18 portions of adjacent pairs of notches 19 and 20, the clip 11 is adapted to closely encircle a pipe 13 of a required diameter and to secure such pipe in contact with the free edges of the channel side flanges 21 and 22.

Each clip end flange 17 and 18 has an oflset central portion 40 formed therein along the dotted lines 41 and 42 of FIG. 6. Each offset portion 40 is of a length to fit freely between the channel side flanges 21 and 22 of a supporting channel member 10 when the clip is mounted thereon as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

When mounting a pipe, such as the pipe 13, on a hanger A, the pipe 13 is first manually moved into a desired position against the free edges of the channel side flanges 21 and 22. A retaining clip, such as the clip 11, is then fitted over the pipe in laterally offset relation to the chan nel 10 as indicated in broken lines 11a in FIG. 1, with the left hand ends of the clip side portions 37 and 38 and their respective end flanges 17 and 13 in endwise register with the appropriate notches 2G in the channel side flange nearest thereto. As illustrated in FIG. 1, this is flange 22. The clip is then pressed or driven endwise thereof along the pipe 13 into centered relation with the channel. In the latter position, the initially entering ends of the clip side portions 37 and 38 and their end flanges 17 and 18 enter the opposite notches 19 of their respective pairs thereof.

During this driving home of the clip 11, it is obvious the the offset central flange portion 40 will tend to cam the clip inwardly toward the channel 10, but that when the clip is centered on the channel these offset portions 40 will then lie between, and clear of, the channel side flanges as best shown in FIG. 4 and will thus resist any tendency of the clip to become displaced laterally of the channel. Should it be desired, ho ever, the clips may be removed, by driving them lengthwise thereof until the 3 clip flanges l7 and 18 are clear of the channel notches in which they are inserted.

The larger clip 12 shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and is of a size to circle a desired larger diameter of pipe, such as the pipe 14, and as illustrated, is of a width to span two pairs of notches 19 and 2% in the channel flanges 21 and 22, respectively. This larger clip 12 is provided with a threaded hole 43 (FIG. 5) into which a set screw 44 may be screwed for more firmly anchoring a pipe, such as the pipe 14 therein. Otherwise the structure and op eration of the larger clip 12 is similar to that illustrated and described in detail for the smaller clip 11.

Obviously, a set screw, not shown, but similar to the set screw 44, may be provided for the smaller clip 11, and with such construction an even smaller pipe than the one 13 illustrated could be firmly secured in the clip 11. It will also be obvious that larger clips for spanning three or more pairs of notches, and for encircling even larger diameter pipes can be constructed by any ordinary workman familiar with the invention as disclosed herein.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive and sturdy pipe hanger, one which can be easily mounted on a wall, ceiling or structural member of a building, and which can be easily and properly used even by relatively unskilled laborers. There is no danger of the retaining clips becoming accidentally dislodged, although they may be easily removed as explained previously herein, in the event that it should become desirable to remove or reposition any of the pipes mounted on a hanger A embodying the invention.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims:

1. A pipe and conduit hanger comprising, in combination, an elongated channel member adapted to be secured, with its open side exposed, to a building element, a plurality of notches in the exposed, longitudinal edge of each side flange of said channel member, said notches being arranged in laterally aligned pairs spaced apart lengthwise of the support member, each of said notches having an undercut portion therein, an arched, pipe embracing clip adapted to overlie and embrace a pipe of selected diameter, when such pipe is mounted transversely across the open side of said channel member between two laterally aligned pairs of said notches, the side portions of said clip being of a length to extend into the notches on each side of such pipe, a laterally extending flange on the free end of each of said side portions, and of a size to extend into the undercut portions of a pair of aligned notches into which the side portion on which said flange is provided is inserted, thereby to attach such pipe to the channel member.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the notches are T-shaped with the stem of the T comprising the notch and each side of the head of the T comprising an undercut portion thereof.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the flanges of each clip extend inwardly toward each other.

4. A pipe and conduit hanger comprising, in combination, an elongated channel member adapted to be secured, with its open side exposed, to a building element, a plurality of notches in the exposed, longitudinal edge of each side flange of said channel member, said notches being arranged in laterally aligned pairs spaced apart lengthwise of the support member, each of said notches having an undercut portion therein, an arched, pipe embracing clip adapted to overlie and embrace a pipe of selected diameter, when such pipe is mounted transversely across the open side of said channel between two laterally aligned pairs of said notches, the side portions of said clip being of a length to extend into the notches on each side of such pipe, a laterally extending flange on the free end of each of said side portions, and of a size to extend into the undercut portions of a pair of aligned notches in which the side portions are inserted, and an offset retaining portion on a clip flange of a size of fit between the flanges of the channel member when the flange is centered therein, whereby, the clip is movable in pipe embracing condition lengthwise along the pipe from a position at one side of said channel member toward a centered position over the channel member, said clip extensions and their respective flanges entering into the two pairs of laterally aligned notches and the undercut portions thereof two pairs of with which they are in register, thereby attaching such pipe to the channel member.

5. A pipe and conduit hanger comprising, in combination, an elongated support member adapted to be secured to a building element, a plurality of pairs of undercut notches at longitudinally spaced intervals along the outer side of said support member, an arched, pipe retaining clip formed to overlie and embrace a pipe of selected diameter extending transversely across, and bearing against, the outer side of said support member between a selected pair of such notches therein, said clip having a pair of side portions of a length to extend one into each of such selected pair of notches between which such pipe is located, each clip side portion having a laterally bent end flange, each end flange being formed and positioned to fiit into and engage an undercut portion of a notch into which its respective clip side portion extends, the notches with their undercut portions, and the clip side portions and their bent end portions being respectively formed so that with such a pipe centered between a pair of such notches, and the clip fitted over such pipe laterally adjacent the support member, the clip is movable lengthwise of the pipe to move the clip side portions into such pair of notches with the bent end flanges on said side portions fitted into and engaging the undercut portions of their respective notches, thereby to attach such pipe to the support member.

6. A pipe hanger comprising, in combination, an elongated channel member adapted to be mounted on a building element with its open side outward, a plurality of under-cut notches at longitudinally spaced intervals along the exposed outer side of each flange of said channel member, an arched pipe retaining clip of strip metal formed to overlie and embrace a pipe of selected diameter extending transversely across, and bearing against, the outer side of said channel member between two selected, longitudinally spaced apart notches therein, a pair of side portions on said clip of a length to extend one into each of such two selected notches between which such pipe is located, a laterally bent flange on the free end of each clip side portion, each end flange being formed and positioned to fit into and engage an under-cut portion of the notch into which its respective clip side portion extends, thereby to attach such pipe to the channel member.

7. A pipe hanger comprising, in combination, an elongated member adapted to be mounted on a building element to extend therealong, a plurality of notches at longitudinally equally spaced intervals along the outer side of said elongated member, a laterally under-cut portion on each side of each notch, a pipe retaining clip having a central portion thereof arched to overlie and embrace a pipe of selected diameter extending transversely across, and bearing against, the outer side of said elongated member between two selected notches therein, said clip having a pair of side portions each of a length to extend one into one of such two selected notches between which such pipe is located, each clip side portion having a laterally bent end flange, each end flange being formed and positioned to fit into and engage an under-cut portion of the notch into which its respective clip side portion extends when the clip is fitted over such pipe in a position laterally adjaoffset cam portion is provided on each clip flange to resist cent the elongated member, and is moved endwise along fiiSP 1a6II1eI1t 0f the p from the elongated member W the pipe to move the clip end portions into the selected 111 Pm attaching COHditiOn therewnotches, with the bent end flanges on said side portions fitted into and engaging the undercut portions of their re- 5 References Cited In the file of thls patent spective notches, thereby to attach such pipe to the elon- UNITED STATES PATENTS gated member. 1,755,201 Blackburn Apr. 22, 1930 8. An anangement according to claim 7 wherein an "2, 2 BOSWOIth at a y 31, 1960 

